February 25, 2013

Former Columbia City head coaches and Whitley County residents, along with two players from the county are headed to the Indiana Girls Basketball State Finals Saturday. Canterbury topped Lafayette Central Catholic, 74-50, at Crown Pointe in the semi-state game.

From left, former Columbia City head football coach Matt Furthmiller â€” assistant at Canterbury, former Whitko Middle School stand-out Darby Maggard, former long-time Columbia City girls basketball head coach Wayne Krieger and former Indian Springs Middle School hoopster Carly Johnson.

February 25, 2013

Marjorie June Wetzel, 85, formally of rural Smith Township, passed away Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at Renaissance Village in Fort Wayne.
Surviving relatives include a son, Robert (Peggy) Wetzel; granddaughters, Christina (Stephen) Peterson and Sherry (Douglas) Adams and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a great-granddaugter, Abigail Susan Adams.

February 25, 2013

Michael John Tartaglia, 85, a resident of rural Columbia City, passed away at 6:04 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne. Although he had been hospitalized recently, his death was unexpected.
Mr. Tartaglia was born in Chicago on June 2, 1927, a son of Guseippe and Maria (Coppola) Tartaglia, and spent his formative years there.
As a young man he served with the Merchant Marines during World War II, and was later married in Chicago Dec. 19, 1953, to Jeannine M. Hopkins.

February 25, 2013

Patricia Elaine Myers, 76, a resident of Wolf Lake, died at 9:16 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at Parkview Regional Medical Center, Fort Wayne where she had been transported from Parkview Noble Hospital.
She was born Sept. 19, 1936, in Tazwell County, Illinois, a daughter of the late Merrill and Dorothy J. (Pierce) Wallace.
She began her schooling in Illinois. She continued her grade schooling at South Whitley. She completed her education at Wolf Lake High School graduating in 1954.
She was a U. S. Postal worker for 33 years, retiring as the Postmaster at Wolf Lake in 1991.

February 25, 2013

Jo Ellen Adams McConnell, 74, died at 11:05 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 at her home with her caring family surrounding her.
She was born Jan. 13, 1939, at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, a daughter of James DuPont and Clarice Vivian (Mink) Adams.
A Whitley County native, she graduated with the Class of 1957 from Columbia City High School, where she participated in speech, band, and was editor of â€śThe Eagleâ€ť school newspaper.
Jo Ellen graduated from Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio in 1964, with a B.A. degree in Spanish.

February 25, 2013

Gerald J. â€śJerryâ€ť Martin, 91, of Decatur, passed away Friday, Feb. 22, 2013.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Joyce Martin, of Decatur; three sons; two daughters; a brother; three sisters; 12 granchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. at Woodcrest Nursing Center and from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Haggard-Sefton & Hirschy Funeral Home with a reciting of the Holy Rosary at 3:30 p.m.